JERTIH, Oct 14 — The recent shooting of a stray dog named ‘Kopi,’ which sparked an outcry on social media, was carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOP), said Besut District Council (MDB) president, Mohd Sukeri Ibrahim.

Refuting claims that council staff had abandoned the dog after it was shot, Mohd Sukeri called the allegations false.

"The handling of the stray dog adhered to the SOP established by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) and complied with Section 30 of the Animal Welfare Act 2015,” he said.

"Unfortunately, when our team attempted to retrieve the dog’s remains, they were prevented from doing so by certain individuals,” he added.

Mohd Sukeri’s statement came in response to a Facebook post shared by the Stray Animal Feeders of Malaysia (SAFM) on Oct 12. He emphasised that the operation was conducted in line with the Dog Licencing By-Laws (Besut District Council) 1990.

He added that the law allows the use of firearms in specific cases during operations to manage or remove dangerous or wild animals.

"The regulation allows for any licenced or unlicenced dog, whose owner cannot be found, to be removed or handled as instructed by the council president or an authorised officer,” he said.

On Sept 6, 2024, a joint operation involving 25 personnel from MDB, the district veterinary office and the Kota Putera state legislative assembly office was conducted in Jerteh to address the issue of stray dogs.

This action, he added, was taken following public complaints about a pack of stray dogs near the Bank Simpanan Nasional Jerteh branch, where the dogs had grown aggressive and were harassing pedestrians.

Earlier, My Forever Doggo (MFD) Facebook page shared a 52-second video showing Kopi, the stray dog, succumbing to severe injuries. The dog was found by a local resident in a nearby housing area after the sound of gunshots was heard. — Bernama